Under the Sakura Tree
by Yukiko-Zaraki
Summary: Kenpachi Zaraki and Byakuya Kuchiki are known enemies, but how will Byakuya react to Kenpachi's daughter when she is placed inside his squad. Will his rivalry have an affect on their relationship? Byakuya/O.C.
1. Prologue

Under the Sakura Tree

Prologue

Stretching her small arms, Yukiko walked out into the Seireitei, the bright sun blinding her for a moment. She was fresh out of the academy, but was already placed as a fourth seat in the sixth squad under Captian Byakuya Kuchiki. Today, she had an extra hop to her step because today was the day she would finally get to see her captain close up. Yukiko had only seen him from afar, and in her mind from descriptions that were given to her, so she was exceptionally happy today.

"Hey!" someone yelled at her.

Yukiko looked over to the source of the voice that happened to be the red pineapple that had played a part in her becoming a soul reaper.

"Renji!" She ran toward him, blonde hair flowing behind her. Yukiko hugged him with enough force that it almost knocked him over.

"How can someone so small have so much strength in her..?" Renji wondered as he continued to walk, the blonde swinging from his neck.

"Hmmm... Your father is the captain of squad eleven. That's how pineapple!" She said gleefully, dropping back to the ground and walking at his side, having a small issue of keeping up with his long strides. His height of 6'2 made it difficult for her height of 5 foot to keep up with him... Not only him but most of the soul reapers in the Seireitei; Especially the men.

_ Oh why do the men here have to be so tall!? Why am I so short...?_ Yukiko thought as she struggled keeping up with her lieutenant. She wondered what her captain was really like. _Was he kind, like Captain Ukitake, or was he more distant and responsible, like Captain Hitsugaya... Was he like any of the other captains or was he set apart..? Will I like him... How much will I like him.. Father says he's not much fun... But it's pretty much common knowledge that the two don't get along. Wait... Will that make him treat me differently.. Will he hate me because he hates my father..?_ Yukiko shook her head, trying to quit making herself nervous. Little did she know, their relationship would be quite different from what she and everyone else had ever dared to imagine.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Renji slid the door open, revealing the captain of squad sixes neatly organized office to fresh, and curious blue eyes. Those eyes wandered to a figure in a chair situated opposite the windows, leaning over a desk, and doing some paperwork.

"Captain." Renji said respectfully and quietly, slightly bowing to the man.

"Renji. Who is that?" The man looked up at him, revealing dark blue eyes under black hair held back by kenseikan. He was very noble looking, and rather attractive, but also somewhat intimidating, and distant. Something seemed rather off about him, and Yukiko could feel an oddly cold aura coming off the noble man. She back up a bit behind the red head, resting her hands on his back and just barely peeking out from behind Renji, stared at the man with wide, icey eyes. Renji looked back at her, scoffing at her reaction, pushed her infront of himself and held her there with his hands firmly on her shoulders. The captain continued to stare at her, making her cheeks, which were already permanently tinged pink, flush red. Her head went down in an effort to hide her face, hoping he hadn't noticed it. When Yukiko looked up through her hair, she saw his head tilt very slightly, and he looked confused, but that cold aura still remained, keeping her in her current state. Renji the Red Pineapple looked down at Yukiko and laughed at her even more saying as these actions were very out of character for the small blonde.

"This is our new fourth seat." Renji simply stated.

"Ah. Captain Zaraki's daughter correct?"

"Mhmm." Yukiko nodded her head.

"You don't seem to be like him at all... Why is that?" Byakuya asked her.

_ Okay, just breath. Calm yourself Yukiko. Quit being a wimp and look at the man!_ Yukiko managed to clear the red from her face, and looked at her captain.

"Well... I'm... I... I don't know. I'm usually most like him when I'm fighting or when I get angry.. But no one knows why I don't look like him." Yukiko explained as best she could. Explaining things had never really been her strong suit.

"I see. Renji, show her to her office, and then take her to the training grounds. I would like to see if she truly is fit for her position." Captain Kuchiki said and dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

"Yes Captain." Renji bowed slightly again, gently hitting Yukiko, telling her to do the same. She shook her head and bowed to her captain and turned around so her red-headed friend could lead her to her designated office, and then further down to the training ground.

"Who am I supposed to train with?" Yukiko looked up at Renji.

"Just pick someone."

"Okay."

After Renji showed Yukiko her office, they went over to the Squad Eleven Barracks so Yukiko could get a training partner.

"Hey! Cue Ball!" Yukiko yelled when she saw her target. Her target turned around, glaring daggers at her.

"Quit calling me that! You're as bad as Yachiru!"

"Oh suck it up and act like a man Ikkaku!" She laughed and ran towards him. An arm wrapped around her waist, and pulled her to the owner of the appendage.

"What about me beautiful?" A smooth voice whispered in her ear.

"You... are... the only person I know who can pull off a bowl cut." Laughing, she wrapped her arms around the mans neck. "Hey Yumi!"

"You enjoy your nick-names don't you?" Yumichika stated more than asked.

"Well duh!" she pulled away and grabbed Ikkaku's arm and started to drag him, Renji standing there silently laughing at the scene that just unfolded before him, sure there was more to come. There always was with Yukiko around.

"Where are you going Yuki?" Yumichika asked, following the three.

"To the training grounds."

Upon hearing her response, Ikkaku pulled his arm away, telling Yukiko that she didn't have to drag him if that was their destination.

"Oh? But what fun would that have been?" Yukiko said playfully.

"Now you're starting to sound like your dad." Renji spoke up. Yukiko giggled and started to walk a little faster, eager to fight with Ikkaku.

"Eager?" Ikkaku asked.

"Eager to kick your butt!" She laughed as he glared at her, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

Suddenly a pink haired girl appeared on Yumichika's shoulder.

"Kenny needs you!" She giggled.

"Alright, I guess I'll see you guys later." Yumichika hugged Yukiko, and walked off to speak with Captain Zaraki.

"Tell him I said hi!" Yukiko yelled after him.

"Will do." He yelled back, lifting his hand up in a manner of saying good-bye.

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Once at the training grounds, Yukiko found her captain waiting for them patiently at the edge. Renji went up to their captain, and talked to him. He waved his hand at Yukiko and Ikkaku, giving them the sign to go ahead with the training.

When both soul reapers were at the bottom, they drew their zanpakutō. Yukiko looked at him and raised an eyebrow at him. She liked to taunt him and tried to find new ways every time she ran into him. There was something about knowing that she could bug the living crap out of him and he couldn't do much that gave her a certain type of satisfaction that she absolutely loved. Ikkaku just glared in response.

"You ready?" Yukiko asked.

"When you are." He replied.

"What ever you say!" she laughed aloud and flash stepped out of view, reappearing behind Ikkaku. He swung his sword at her, but she just flash stepped out of the way, laughing at him. Ikkaku looked around but he couldn't find her anywhere when all of a sudden a flash of silver went past his face, and he barely managed to dodge her blow. He growled at her, again glaring dagger at her. But she simply stood there, a feigned look of innocence on her face. He ran at her, full force, a smile plastered on his face. To him, she was probably the only female that could be any type of match for him in a fight using absolutely no kido. It was one more opponent that he had in the Seireitei.

Yukiko still stood watching the bald man run towards her looking happy. When she was barely out of range, Ikkaku released his shikai.

"Extend! Hōzukimaru!" He usually only used this as a last resort, but he knew he didn't need to hold back with the blonde girl in front of him, waiting for him to make his move so she could try and counter, but this time he wanted to catch _her_ off guard for a change. Ikkaku flash stepped behind her, and just as she was about to turn around he flash stepped back to his original position and managed to surprise his captains daughter, and make a rather large gash on her left arm. She blinked and backed off, impressed at his new achievement. Yukiko nodded her head in approval, and checked her arm, again impressed at how badly he had managed to get her. In her distraction, Ikkaku found a perfectly obvious opening. Well, at least he thought he had. When he was in her range, she ran at him and jumped. She put her hand on his shoulder, and threw him over her, and onto the other side of the field; Yukiko had managed to knock the wind out of him. She smiled brightly and ran at him as he lifted him self off the ground. Yukiko flash stepped, Ikkaku assumed that she would go in front of him, but instead, she had flash stepped away from him, her zanpakutō sheathed. He stood, looking confused.

"What? Don't tell me you forgot!" She scoffed at him. Ikkaku then recalled that she had two separate zanpakutōs. "That was Ai Hoshi. She's my kido based one. Haha that wouldn't be much fun with you." She laughed some more, drawing the zanpakutō that rested on her left hip. This one, unlike the other's blue hilt with a white ribbon, had a red hilt with a black ribbon. That was the one that, as far as he knew, no one had ever seen her use. According to her, this one wasn't kido based.

"So what's that one named?" He asked her mockingly. "Hōyō no Hoshi?"

She scoffed, "Not even." She started spinning her zanpakutō quickly. "Now, dance for death. Nikushimi no sutā!" She continued to spin it for a second longer, then she threw her arm back, her zanpakutō no longer in sword form. It was a ringed blade, something that would take great skill to wield without hurting yourself in the process. This was about to get interesting.

Watching the fight happening below, Captain Kuchiki and Lieutenant Abari assessed Yukiko and her skills. Renji was very familiar with her skill, but this new zanpakutō of hers had him both impressed and curious. Byakuya showed no such feelings on the outside, but on the inside, was wondering how that shy, quiet, little girl was this confident in the midst of battle, even a training exercise like this one. He was both impressed and curious, with this young girl who was to be his new fourth seat. As far as he could see, she was holding her ground quite well, and had very good combat skills. She was right. She was more like her father when in battle. She was interesting to him. Very interesting.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

They sat there, huffing on the ground; both of them bleeding from various wounds that covered there bodies. His zanpakutō back in its original form, hers still a ringed blade.

"Heh, you've gotten better." Yukiko said nonchalantly, examining her damaged self.

"It's not like I'd let myself get worse." Ikkaku replied, applying the balm he stored in his zanpakutō to the last few open wounds on his body before he walked over to her, offering her the balm.

"Thanks!" Smiling she gently applied the blood clotting substance to her more substantial wounds, leaving the smaller ones alone so she could practice healing them. She figured that with her ability to heal, that she would have been sent to her fathers squad to be their personal healer. A healer that they couldn't pick on without getting hurt either by the little healer or the little healers father, their 6'7 1/2, blood thirsty, fight loving captain. But instead, she was sent to her fathers most loathed enemies squad, and so far, she wasn't all to impressed with her captain. Hadn't he heard how well she had done? She graduated in as little as 2 months. Beating the last record held by one of the captains should have been enough proof that she had the right amount of skill for her position, or maybe an even higher one. But she wouldn't complain. At least not to her captain or lieutenant.

"They want you." Ikkaku blurted out, pulling the girl still sitting on the ground out of her thoughts. She looked up and saw Renji looking at her, waving his hand to tell her that she needed to go up to the two men standing there.

"Alright. I suppose I'll see you later..." She sighed and stood up, "Try not to get bitten." She said a little sarcastically, remembering the day she first met the 'shaven' man and the little pink haired girl. He had said something that bothered her and the little girl jumped on him and bit his head. Laughing and smiling, she had managed to make him blush that day. That was also the day she had first met Yumichika who bestowed the title of 'the most beautiful young woman' he had ever seen. That was her turn to blush a bit.

"Then get your butt up there." he shoved her toward the men that had watched them. One of which was getting impatient and his tribal tatoo eyebrows started to lower into a type of glare. Yukiko looked back at Ikkaku, but he had left already.

"Could've said bye.." She mumbled, making her way towards her superiors.

"Took you long enough." Renji ruffled her hair. Yukiko growled at him, glaring at him and silently daring him to continue and see what would happen to him. Though with him being as close to her as he was, it would probably just be a mustache and a monocle drawn on his face with permanent marker while he slept. Byakuya watched this small, silent scene go on. Those two were like brother and sister; their bond was very plain to see. A blind man could easily have seen it. The way they picked on each other, but also the way they just went along with it and how at ease they were with each other. This was the most relaxed he had ever seen Renji while in his presence. Even with Rukia he was still more high-strung when in his company.

"So.. How'd I do?" Yukiko's voice snapped him back to the real world.

"You did rather well. I must say, you are much like your father when fighting. You like to drag things out as much as possible, don't you?"

"Only when I can. If not, then I finish as soon as possible." She said a responsible look on her face that, given the display of personality and spunk he had just seen, was the last look he expected to have been presented on her face. Her face... He liked her face: Her eyes, her lips and their peach-pink tint, her china doll pale skin, even her nose. But her eyes was the best part of her face. They were a cold color, but held a type of warmth in them that seemed to draw you in, and made you feel as if you could tell her absolutely anything in the world.

Lost in the thoughts going through his head, he didn't notice her expression change from responsible to confused and slightly amused. She hadn't the slightest idea why her captain was staring at her. Why he wouldn't look away from her eyes. Speaking of eyes, she did enjoy his. They were a deep, dark blue that normally she wouldn't have found all that great, but there was something about them paired with his skin and hair that made them seem perfect. Shaking her head, Yukiko looked up at Renji who looked just as confused as her.

"Hmm..." Yukiko took a step toward Byakuya and snapped her fingers, then waving a hand in front of his face. His mind blanked for a small moment before he realized that he had been staring into his fourth seats eyes for a good while. Not wanting her or Renji to see the new sunrise on his face, he quickly flash stepped away from the pair of soul reapers.

"Well then... That was... odd.." Yukiko managed to say.

"Very. He normally wouldn't have left like that with out at least acknowledging the fact that he was leaving." But that wasn't what Yukiko was talking about. She was thinking about the red that tinged his cheeks when she pulled him out of day-dream land.

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The next few weeks went on with no spectacular event in store for anyone Yukiko knew. The people she knew consisted of most of squad eleven, her squad, the Head Captain, (Who was now much like a grandfather to her. A stern one, but a grandfather none the less.), and the other captains in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. The most fun she had those past weeks was bothering the Squad Two's Captain, Soi-Fon, so much that she ended up chasing Yukiko around the Seireitei, yelling about how she would kill her. That of course was apart of the plan. Yukiko figured that Soi-Fon wouldn't teach her willingly, as proven by Yukiko's constant pleas that all got smacked down. So she thought that if she wouldn't teach her how to better her flash step, then Yukiko would have to trick her into it; and that is exactly what happened. Her success made that day fly faster than the others, but it was still pretty slow. But this week, Renji wanted to have her get to know some of the other soul reapers. She was bored and had finished the paperwork assigned to her, so she had nothing better to do, which forced Yukiko into accepting his proposal.

They walked over to squad thirteen, the squad with the captain who was always sick, but was supposedly very kind. She met the squad members with a bright smile and her bubbly, energetic personality.

"This is Rukia." Renji said, pointing to a small girl with the same eyes and hair as Yukiko's captain. From what she heard, this was Byakuya's little sister. She was noble. She was royalty. But she also heard that she didn't particularly act like it.

"Hey! I'm Yukiko Zaraki! Fourth Seat of Squad Six." Yukiko smiled, and bowed a bit to show her respect.

"You don't need to bow to me." Rukia said with a small laugh. "You are a higher rank than me you know."

"Really?" Yukiko was surprised to hear this. She was the sister of a captain. She should have at least been a fifth seat.

"No she's being totally sarcastic." Renji said. Yukiko glowered at him and reached up to smack him upside the head, but she couldn't reach. "Hah! You should've known that you can't reach my head! You're too short!" Renji was laughing at her.

_That settles it!_ Yukiko growled and kicked Renji behind the knees, knocking him off-balance and sending him to the ground. Now she could reach. She bent down and slapped his head, taking off the headband that he was wearing and waved it around triumphantly.

"Give it back!" Renji growled.

"Mmmm... No!" Yukiko giggled and flash stepped away. Rukia just stood there, shocked, confused, and highly amused.

"She seems like fun." She teased. Renji got up off the floor, muttering about his plot for revenge.

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After a 'game' of 'catch-me-if-you-can!' Yukiko finally gave Renji his headband back to him, and they continued with the tour and meet-and-greet of the squads and their members. And as it turned out she had found a 'twin'. Rangiku Matsumoto, the lieutenant of squad ten, shared her birthday of September 29. They both had blonde hair, though Yukiko's was much paler, blue eyes, again Yukiko's a bit paler, and a love of fun and lazy days. Rangiku was much bustier than Yukiko, but then again she was bustier than most other women. The only exception was squad four's lieutenant. Rangiku invited Yukiko to a party she was throwing to help her get to know even more people and get to know the ones she did know better. From what she gathered, a party thrown by Rangiku would definitely involve a butt load of saké, and Yukiko didn't drink. Period. But she thought that it would be perfectly fine for her to go. All she had to do was not drink and she wouldn't wake up to someone next to her of whose name, gender, and species she couldn't remember.

"What do you mean you don't drink!?" Rangiku yelled, shocked at how the daughter of Kenpachi Zaraki could possibly be a virgin.

"Well, it's not like I don't want to, then again it's not like I do want to, but I can't. Once, I got 'drunk' off the fumes the alcohol gave off. I'd take one small drink and be as drunk as someone who just drank five large ones. Besides, I heard it tastes bad."

"Psh! It does not taste bad! It tastes great! Maybe if you drank, you could learn to handle alcohol better! Here." Rangiku got up off the couch, and walked over to her desk, opening a drawer. She pulled out a large flask of saké. Pouring a cup full, she told Yukiko how much fun drinking was. Yukiko however, didn't agree. She had a different point of view and preferred to remember what happened that day when she woke up. They had a friendly debate about it, and Yukiko managed to talk her way out of the poured cup of saké.

The day was about to end, and Yukiko was sitting on the rooftop of her captain's office, watching the sunset over the horizon. tonight's was pink, orange, peach, and golden. Those ones were her favorites, she loved the soft colors and imagined sitting under a sakura tree in the spring, watching a sunset just like this one, with the one she loved. The problem was, the person she loved looked like a shadow. She didn't necessarily love anyone yet. Not that way. She tried putting images of people there, like Yumichika, Renji, and Ikkaku, but each just felt odd to her. None of them felt right. Curious, she tried to place her captains image there, wanting to know what she would feel when imagining herself alone with Byakuya watching a sunset under her favorite type of tree. She was shocked at what feeling came over her. Yukiko felt calm, peaceful, and even happy. Did this mean she loved him?

_No! No, I can't love him. I just met him a few weeks ago and I haven't spoken to him since! There's no way I can love him. _Yukiko shook her head, trying to make reason from her confusion. _Well, he's calm, so of course I would feel that way. And it's not like I hate being in his company, and watching sunsets makes me happy... Yes! That's it! Heh, I don't love him. It's just his calmness spreading to me and the sunset making me happy. That's all._ She concluded.

Meanwhile, Byakuya was below her in his office, thinking about his day, his life, and the things in it. Particularly, a small, frail girl with waist length, pale blonde hair, warm, blue eyes, a bright smile, and perfectly sized, shaped, and colored lips. He was finished with his paperwork for the day, so he thought this would be the perfect occasion to do so. Though he didn't mean to think about his fourth seat. In fact, when his thought drifted over to her, he would try his hardest to bring them back to his duties, and what was to be done the next day. Byakuya would succeed for only a moment before he would shift back to the girl who was his enemies daughter. He would stay there for a long while before he caught himself and jerked his thoughts away from her and her eyes.

_Her eyes... They must be the most amazing eyes in the world. This world, the World of the Living, Hell, Hueco Mundo, and The Precipice World. That beautiful blue... The smile held with in them... Wait! Stop it! She's your underling, and the daughter of that brute. Stop thinking of her that way... Her eyes aren't that beautiful. Oh her eyes..._


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"You lost Yukiko." A shining sword pointed at her throat, she was panting, out of breath, her back on the ground, a foot on her hand, and her zanpakutō just out of reach. Her opponents face broke into a huge grin, and he laughed. She closed her blue eyes, and sighed, she would've been dead right now had her opponent not been her father.

"Guess I need to train more. I'll be able to hold my own against you eventually. I swear." Yukiko promised Kenpachi as he withdrew his zanpakutō and helped her back to her feet. Ai Hoshi radiated a white light and switched back to her original form.

"I'm sure ya will. You're my kid after all."

"Heh, true." She smiled and scratched her head sheepishly, grabbing her zanpakutō and sheathing it, she heard a familiar voice calling for her. Father and daughter looked up and saw Rukia standing at the edge of the training area.

"Yukiko! I have a mission! I'm leaving tomorrow, and Renji's suggested that we have a mini-party! You wanna come?" Rukia yelled down.

"Sure! Just let me clean up a bit!" Yukiko shouted back, motioning to her various wounds of varying depths and the blood that covered her skin and soaked her clothes; of which were nearly torn to shreds.

"Okay! I'll let Shuuhei know!"

"R-Rukia!" Yukiko blushed out of embaresment. Her father looked down at her.

"Why would she let Shuuhei know?" his tone was... curious, but also had a hint of, 'do-anything-stupid-and-you're-not-leaving-the-Sei reitei-not-matter-what-the-head-captain-may-say'. As well as a lot of 'if-he-so-much-as-touches-you-I'll-kill-him'.

"Well... because... umm.. Bye!" She flash stepped out of the embarassing situation.

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The party was a blast! Probably because Rangiku was allowed to plan most of it. Who knows what it would have been like if it had been planned purely be Renji... Or even worse.. Byakuya. That would have been the worst party ever planned in the history of... Well, ever!

"Rangiku's drunk like there is no tomorrow, and both her and Kira dissapeared... I don't think I want to know where.." Yukiko said to Shuuhei.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I know where. Proba-"

"Don't tell me!" she gently shoved the lieutenant, "I told you I don't want to know!" She said laughing quietly.

"No you said you thought you didn't want to know. There's a difference." he looked down at her. He teased her. Like her relationship with Renji, they both teased eachother, but Shuuhei did it much less obviously. They were close friends now, and Yukiko had apparently developed a small crush on the man with three vertical scars on his face. Everyone noticed the crush, except for Shuuhei, who seemed completely oblivious to it. Though Yukiko liked it that way; it wasn't like she loved him, and she doubted it would last long. Plus, she thought that it may just make the relationship they shared disapate into a fine mist of awkwardness. The person who noticed it the most though was her very own captain. And for reasons he could not fathom, the way they nonchalantly 'flirted' with eachother bothered him to the very core of his soul.

"Yukiko. Come here." Captain Kuchiki requested her presence quietly.

"Yes Byakuya?" she said, skipping over to him. Over the past few months, she had gotten to know her captain a bit better, and was now, shockingly to nearly everyone, on a first name basis with him. Not just him, but all of the captains. Even Captain Hitsugaya let her call him Toshiro and the Head Captain let her call him by the nick-name that Shunsui gave him. Old man Yama.

"I'm going to leave for a while, I want you to make sure that my office isn't destroyed."

"Why not ask Ren-" Byakuya pointed over to a red head who had drank so much sake that he was flirting with most of the girls in the room and was probably near the point of passing out, "Got it. Will do Captain!" She said, smiling and saluting him. Byakuya just rolled his dark eyes. Yukiko was curious how they got him to let them throw it in his office, but based on his face, they hadn't.

_Well, this'll be fun!_ She thought sarcastically, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

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When Yukiko woke up, she had a blanket that had been neatly laid over her. She didn't remember falling asleep. Sitting up, she realized that she had fallen asleep in Byakuya's office! She looked around frantically, hoping that someone else had put the blanket on her sleeping body, and that her captain hadn't seen her there. As far as she knew, no one looked good sleeping, so there was no way that she could...

_Wait.. why am I so worried that I look good for him..? I don't like him that much._ Shaking her head, Yukiko looked out to the window to see how late it was, but in doing so, she saw the figure she hadn't wanted to. There was Byakuya Kuchiki standing there, looking out of the windows. Maybe if she was quiet enough, she could sneak out with out him noticing... But unfortunately, that chance was never presented to her, and he turned around to face her.

"You did good. My office didn't suffer too much damage. In fact, you did better than I thought you would've."

_WHAT THE CRAP WAS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!? DID HE THINK THAT SHE COULDN'T HANDLE A BUNCH OF DRUNKEN SOUL REAPERS!? DIDN'T HE HAVE ANY FAITH IN HIS OWN FOURTH SEAT!?_ Yukiko shook that thought out of her head, afraid that she would accidentally blurt it out. Instead she managed to utter a thanks.

"You've been sleeping for quite a while. You were here when I got here. You looked cold so I put a blanket on you. Would you like some tea..?" His offer sounded pretty nice. That and who didn't want to try the super fancy, expensive tea? But one question was bothering her...

"Why didn't you just wake me?" She asked. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but didn't satisfaction bring her back..? His eyes widened in shock, and his face became red, but luckily for him, his position combined with the lighting Yukiko couldn't see it. Unluckily for her, he could see the red on hers. Her blush came up from the time he had taken to respond and the fact that he had been the one that put a blanket on her. As well as the thought of him seeing her sleeping.

"Well, I-I... wasn't sure how long the party had gone on, so I wasn't sure how much you had slept by the time I got here." He said, though it wasn't the truth. The truth was that she looked cute when she was asleep, but that wasn't even the whole truth. The whole, entirety of the truth was that it was because he loved her; but the whole truth was still unknown to him. There was only one person who saw the attraction between the two. And that person was dead set on making Yukiko his.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Yesterday was totally awkward!" The blonde girl complained to her bald and fashionable friends as the roamed the Seireitei together.

"I doubt it was that bad." Yumichika said.

"You weren't there!"

"If it involved Captain Kuchiki, it couldn't have been that weird Yukiko." Ikkaku countered.

"Well, it was." she huffed.

"Well, if you want us to beleive it..." Yumichika started.

"Tell us what happened that made it so awkward." Ikkaku finished.

"Ugh.. Fine." Yukiko sighed and started her tale, "After the party, I managed to fall asleep; on his couch no less. When I woke up, there was a blanket that someone put on me, and when I looked around, I saw him staring out of the window. Apparently, I looked cold so he gave me the blanket... Like literally. He _gave_ me his blanket. Then he offered me some tea, which obviously I didn't say no to, but then I just had to ask him why he didn't just wake me up when he found me." Yukiko's blush slightly rose on her face. "He took forever to answer me... Which of course started my imagination up... But then he said it was because he wasn't sure how much I had slept by the time he had got there. We didn't speak for a while after that.. Then he asked for my help in creating a punishment for Renji for using his office without permission. Now that part was actually pretty fun.. But... I mean it was so... Why am I complaining about this to a couple of guys!? No offense or anything but... this really is more of a girl thing..." She scratched her head and sighed, closing her eyes. The boys weren't entirely sure how to react to her story. Ikkaku saw no issue, but Yumichika could see how awkward that would be.

"Well, why not just talk to him?" Ikkaku broke the minorly awkward silence that had fallen between them. Yumichika glared at him, and Yukiko just stared at him with wide eyes.

"You idiot!" They yelled in unison.

"I can't talk to him about it! That would just make things even more weird." Yukiko said. It was then that Momo ran up to Yukiko.

"Ca-Captain Aizen would l-like to speak with y-you." She said, trying to catch her breath.

"Why?"

"I don't know. I didn't feel it my position to ask."

"Oh what's the harm. I'll be right there." Yukiko left her friends and headed over to the squad five barracks and up to the captains quarters. She knocked softly on his door.

"Come in." Something about him was very offsetting to Yukiko. She never understood how Momo could love this man so dearly and hold him so highly. She opened the door and quietly shuffled her feet as she made her way toward the captain with glasses.

"How are you Sosuke?" She asked politely.

"I'm alright, but my shoulders are aching horribly. Would you mind?" Yukiko knew what he meant. This was probably the thousandth time she had done this. It was starting to irritate her. But she didn't want to be disrespectful.

"No. It's no problem!" She faked a smile and laugh, walking up to him, shivering at the way he looked at her. She knelt behind him and started to massage his shoulders that were supposedly 'aching horribly', thinking to herself why he picked her.

To Aizen these moments were heaven, to Yukiko... They were worse than the moment she had with Byakuya yesterday. He creeped her out, though she didn't know why. She was just disgusted by the man, but he hadnt' been anything but nice to her. Hence why she couldn't be anything but outwardly respectful to the man who looked at her like she were already his. She never would be. She didn't want to be and she was sure that Kenpachi wouldn't let it happen unless she wanted it to.

Aizen was thinking about his plans and how to go through with them. He decided to go through with a specific part after much (Two days) of consideration. It would provide him with plenty of alone time with which he could use to woo her. To gain the affection that Byakuya had seemingly naturally gained. Even if she didn't know that she cared so much about him herself, he did, and Sosuke wasn't about to let either of them realize the mutual feelings they had, so he had to seperate the two. That forced him to speed up his plans.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

It had been quite sometime since Rukia had been sent on a mission to the World of the Living, and Yukiko finally heard news about her. Unfortunately, it was not good new. It wasn't even bad or horrible news. It was the worst news that she had ever heard. Rukia had apparently committed a Class-A crime and was to be brought back for capital punishment. The death penalty.

Yukiko spent her days pacing back and forth across her office, trying to come to terms with the news.

"Why won't Byakuya stand up for her..? She's his sister for goodness sake!" she whispered to herself. "Oh Rukia... Why? I mean she had to have a good reason right..? That has to be it, and once Central 46 hears that reason, they would surely forgive her. Maybe the lives of innocent people depended on it... That has to be enough right?" Yukiko couldn't bring herself to do any paperwork, so she handed it up to the third seat who didn't know Rukia well enough to truely have the news bother him enough. Yukiko had to get her frustration out of her system... "Shuuhei! I can train with him!" The small blonde girl ran from her office to the squad nine barracks as fast as she could.

"So these papers need to be take- ugh!" Yukiko jumped onto his back, making him stumble forward. She burried her face into his neck for a few seconds, then rested her chin on his shoulder. "Yukiko... Are you okay?"

"Umm... Can we train for a little while Shuuhei? Please?" She pleaded.

"Well, I see no reason we can't. Give me a second and I'll be out. Alright?"

Yukiko hopped off and nodded, heading to the training grounds. A little while after, Shuuhei was there, and their training began. Little did they know, Aizen was watching them. Watching her. Her movements were so graceful, and delicate, and yet they were just as effective as any other soul reapers. Even more effective than most of the squad eleven's brutish, blood thirsty men.

"You want her?" Tousen appeared behind Aizen.

"Very much so. Isn't she just beautiful?"

"I'm not sure. She is a demon's child after all."

"Are you doubting my ability to control her Tousen?" It was really more of a threat than it was a question; telling Tousen to quit and back off. Tousen was quick to heed the warning and left with a respectful bow. "She will be quite a handfull at first though I suppose. But nothing I can't handle."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Rukia was brought back from her mission, and was being locked up. Something didn't feel right about this and it bothered Yukiko. She was more agitated, and was now much quicker to anger than before. Especially since she wasn't allowed to see Rukia. But that changed the day that four ryoka broke into the Seireitei.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Yukiko was told to stay in the squad six barracks, but that didn't fly with her, so she snuck out.

"I wonder where those ryoka are..." she sensed unfamiliar spiritual pressure coming in her direction and fast. "That has to be them! But there're only two.. I suppose that'll have to do."

She ran to the intersection that the ryoka were heading through, and soon saw two male figures skid to a stop.

"Who are you?" The carrot top asked.

"That's... Yukiko Zaraki! She's the daughter of Captain Zaraki..." The other said, slightly shaking. He had obviously heard of her and knew her reputaion quite well.

"He's right you know." She said, and smiled. The orange one looked at her, and was about to pull out his zanpakutō when Yukiko stopped him. "Wait! What is your purpose..? What are you doing here? You have to have an insanely important reason to have come here. That or you're majorly idiotic."

"We're here to rescue Rukia." This caught her off gaurd.

"Really?"

"Yes." The one in the odd outfit said.

"Well then. We don't have any issues!" Yukiko smiled, "I'll gladly help you! She's my friend, and I won't let her get exicuted!" She folded her arms, determined.

"Really?" It was their turn to be shocked.

"Yes."

"Alright." The orange head said, but the other had another opinion about the proposed alliance.

"No! We can't trust her! She's a soul reaper." He glared at her.

" And.." The two continued their argument, and didn't notice a somewhat large group of soul reapers running at them, but Yukiko did.

"Watch out!" she yelled, and flash stepped behind them and blocked a barrage of swords that were aimed at the two arguing men. They turned in surprise, staring wide eyed at the little girl blocking at least twenty other soul reapers. "Go on ahead! I'll meet up with you later!"

"No way. I'm not leaving you alone to fight this many people." The carrot said.

"Well then, neither am I." The other added.

"Alright then... Team work for the win!" The team of three fought side by side, and managed to get away from them. "Well then.. That was fun!" Yukiko said, "Wait... What are your names?"

"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki." said the carrot top.

"And I'm Ganju." Said the rather... unattractive man.

"Alright.. Well, you know my name, so I guess that makes us even." The three made their way closer to where they were holding Rukia, and Yukiko learned what Rukia had done, but also the reason why she had transferred her power. It seemed perfectly logical to her, and didn't deserve this punishment, unfortunately she didn't have any influence with Central 46.

_Screw them and their stupid rules and punishments!_ Yukiko was pissed, and it showed when she fought through the ones that stood in their way.

Finally, they reached the tower that Rukia was being held prisoner in. But unfotunately, they ran into Yukiko's captain. Byakuya Kuchiki.

"Yukiko, what are you doing with these two?"

"I'm saving your sister's life! Something you should've been trying to do since the very begining of this whole thing!" Yukiko shouted at him, glaring at him. She couldn't believe that he hadn't tried at least once to save her. Rukia was his sister, didn't he care about her? Yukiko was nearly disgusted with him for not doing a thing.

"You're betraying your squad and the Seireitei!" His face still showed no emotion, just like everyother day. Yukiko had only seen one other emotion on his face, and she wasn't even sure she had actually seen that. She had probably just imagined it.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

They were all standing on the top of Sōkyoku Hill, Yukiko staring in disbelief at the sight before her. She knew there was something wrong with Aizen, but she never would have suspected Kaname, and Gin. Especially Gin. He had seemed so nice! A little creepy, but nice. She stood there, eyes shifting to the three traitors, Rukia, and Byakuya, when an arm grabbed her, and she was soon surrounded by a yellow light, and they were floating upwards. She tried to fight back, but she felt something press hard against her pressure point, and everything went black.

Byakuya, couldn't see too well at the moment, partially blinded by pain, but he could see Yukiko get grabbed by Aizen and fall limp in his arms. He wasn't happy, and tried to move, but the pain yanked his body back down to the ground. His fourth seat and the most beautiful girl with the most beautiful and sweet eyes he had ever seen, and he couldn't help her. All he could do was watch her leave with three traitors and finally disapear with in the world of Hueco Mundo; not knowing if and when he would see her again. Why her..? That question went through his head over and over.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Where.. Where am I?" Yukiko croaked out, slowly opening her blue eyes and looking around. She was in a rather extravangent bedroom. The bed she was laying on was soft and the sheets silky, and pillows fluffy.

"You're in my bedroom my love." came a smooth, cold voice. Yukiko didn't have to see the voices face to know that it was Sosuke Aizen, and she flinched hearing his voice. The only voice she wanted to hear now was her fathers. She wanted to hear him screaming at the members of squad four to get rid of the barrier she felt inside her, keeping her powers at bay. But luck was rarely on her side, and she could now see a body with brown hair, slicked back with a single group hanging infront of his face, and brown eyes lean over her. She shut her eyes tight, not wanting to see his face anywhere close to her's. A hand touched her cheek, surprisingly gently. "Come on now, my dear, don't act like this. Open your beautiful eyes so that I can become lost in them." he cooed into her ear.

Yukiko knew she had a small chance to at least get out from under him and she took it. She turned her head slightly and bit down on his earlobe roughly, and as hard as she possibly could. Aizen growled in pain, and rolled of to the side of her, and she bolted up and ran to the other side of the room. She tried to open the doors, but they were locked, and she couldn't use any kido to blast it down thanks to the barrier he had placed on her. She looked around in a frenzy for her zanpakutōs, but they weren't anywhere in that room. Her heart was racing a mile a minute.

"Kaname!"

The door opened, and in came the blind traitor, and Yukiko glared at him.

"Yes Lord Aizen."

"Take her to her room and have Grimmjow look after her. She needs a little time to adjust to her surroundings."

"Of course Lord Aizen." His voice sounded like he had been brainwashed which he probably had, knowing what Sosuke really was. A traitorous snake is what he was. Though the group of hair hanging in his face reminded Yukiko slightly of the thing on a turkey that hung down the side of the beak. She laughed inside at the thought, but her small joyous moment was interrupted by an arm roughly grabbing her and yanking her down a boring white hall, to what would most likely be a very boring and plain room. They first made a stop at a door that was slightly open, and Yukiko tried to peer through the crack, but Kaname was in her way.

"Grimmjow."

"What!?" A voice boomed from inside the room, and soon after a tall man with bright blue hair and electric blue eyes appeared in the doorway. He would have looked normal if it weren't for the hole in his abdomen; right where the bellybutton should have been.

"Take this woman to her room. It's right next to the throne room. And look after her would you? Feed her and give her what she'll need. But be warned, she is rather fiesty." Tousen said. The questions were stated more like commands.

"Fine." Grimmjow said, running a hand through his hair. He didn't look all that happy. Yukiko had really lost all interest at where she was being led at the moment, and just kept staring at this man. Eyes wandering from his hole, to the jaw on his.. jaw, and his hair. Even when a hand grabbed her even rougher than Tousen had, she didn't notice. All she could think about was that hole and jaw. Could she stick her hand trough the hole... What in the world would happen if she did?

"How do you eat with that hole there?" The question blurted itself out before she could stop it. He turned and looked at her in utter shock. That wasn't a question he had thought would ever be asked to him. He himself had never thought of it.

"I just do." He said, not sure how to answer the little prisoner.

"Any better answer? That doesn't explain much."

"No."

"Truely, or are you saying that to shut me up about it?"

"...Truely." he whispered. A bit embarrassed that that was the best he could answer a question about himself. He heard her giggle softly behind him.

"Can I touch your hole?"

The question stopped him in his tracks. "No!" He shouted.

"Why not?"

"Because!" She shrugged and they continued.

They reached the room Aizen had assigned to her. Grimmjow threw her in like a rag doll, seeming to not care about her and wether or not he caused her harm.

"Well that was just plain rude!" She yelled through the door that separated the two.

"Deal with it!" He yelled back.

"I'm hungry!"

"Shut up and I'll get your food!"

Yukiko looked a bit shocked. That was the first time anyone had ever told her to shut up. Even Ikkaku didn't. He just told her to stop using the ridiculous nick-names he earned from both her and Yachiru. Yukiko went over to a corner and slid down, pulling her knees up to her chest. Would she ever see her beloved father ever again? Would she be able to escape?

"Here woman." A tray of food was set down infront of her. Yukiko looked at the food. It wasn't anything fancy, but it didn't look horrible and disgusting, so she figured she might as well try it.

"This isn't half bad.."

"You need anything else?" Grimmjow asked, still rather annoyed with having been put in charge of her.

"Stay with me."

"Why?' he raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected that. The prisoner girl was full of surprises.

"I don't like being alone. Besides, you seem rather annoyed, so maybe if we talk, you'll be less annoyed with having to take care of me." she said hopefully.

"I'm pretty sure you just want me comfortable enough with you so that I'll let my gaurd down and let you touch my hole."

"No! Not at all!" He looked at her and she knew that he knew that was a total lie. "Okay... So maybe that's part of the plan. But I also wanna feel your mask too. And I really don't like being alone and taken care of by someone that doesn't want to. I'm pretty sure that Turkey would love to be you right now."

"Turkey?"

"The little curl of hair on Aizen's face reminds me of the dangly thing that hangs on a turkey's beak." Grimmjow snickered at her.

"It kinda does look like one doesn't it?"

Grimmjow decided to stay and keep her company, and the two chatted for a long while, slowly realizing how much the two were alike. They both realized that they would become fast friends. She would be the first person Grimmjow would actually consider a friend. He would be the only friend she had here. Gin Ichimaru used to be her friend, but now... She never even wanted to see his ever smiling face ever again.

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A few days had past, and Yukiko had slowly managed to break the seal with in herself, but to keep Aizen unaware of it, she kept her spiritual pressure hidden, and concealed it. Grimmjow however noticed it. Each day, she slowly looked more radiant than the last. He had to admit that he did think that she was beautiful, but he didn't love her. She was a close friend. The blonde prisoner was his dearest friend. His only real friend.

"Hey small fry."

"Hey!" Yukiko ran up to the blue haired man.

"Energetic today are we?"

"Yup! You know why?"

_That's right. She managed to break me down and I promised her she could feel my hole and mask._ She looked up at him, eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. He sighed and sat down on a couch. She jumped up and sat facing him on her knees, her hands went over to his stomach and her cold touch made him jump.

"You're as cold as death!"

She simply smiled at him and touched his stomach as soon as he had relaxed again. When her hand made contact, he shivered, but dealt with it. A promise was a promise. And you couldn't exactly say no to her when looking at her.

Her fingers ran around the edge of the hole and then wandered up to his face when they got used to the feeling. This time, she jumped.

"What?"

"I didn't think it would actually feel like bone!"

"How do you know what bone feels like?"

"..." She didn't answer, she just laughed and resumed playing with his jaw's jaw. Yukiko got to the tip of a tooth and yanked her hand away yelping.

"What?" he asked again.

"Their sharp.." She whined looking at the blood dripping down her finger. Grimmjow took her finger and sucked on it until the bleeding stopped. Yukiko blushed as he did this.

"Are you finished?" he wondered.

"Yup!" she smiled up at him.

"Hungry?"

"Maybe.." He pointed to the tray of food sitting on a table. It was piled high with food. "I can't eat all that though!"

"Well, then I guess you get to see what happens when I eat with a hole like this." He said laughing loudly at the look on her face as it changed from a single arched eyebrow to pure excitement. She was like a little girl at that moment. She was his little sister, and he was her older brother. They were way beyond the point that Yukiko had reached with both Shuuhei and Renji. He made this place feel like home and they had fun together. When Grimmjow took her out to walk around with him, they would pull pranks on Ulquiorra, and Yammy. He made Yukiko laugh and smile more in just one day than she normally would have if she hadn't gotten kidnapped and brought here. He took her mind off of her misery and her longing for her father and friends. Right now, he was everything to her. And she was careful not to let Aizen notice the bond that formed so quickly and easily, sure that he would take it away from her.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The fake sun was shining through the small barred window in what she had come to refer to as her personal piece of heaven in this world of Hell she was living in. That room and the blood thirsty blue headed man were the only source of calm, fun, and security that she had in what was called Las Noches. It didn't matter what Turkey had named it, she still called it Hueco Mundo; she wouldn't honor this prison with its own special name. Calling it Las Noches would, in her mind, would be accepting it as her home, and she would never. There were only a few places she called home; the Seireitei, her fathers arms that she would run to when she was upset, her little apartment, and the training grounds. But a new 'home' was forming. Forming in Grimmjow's presence. The two's relationship was just like the closest brother and sister relationship that had ever formed, and it had formed so quickly that it surprised both of them. Grimmjow wasn't much of a 'people person' and Yukiko wasn't the type of person to form friendships with the enemy. As much as it surprised them, it didn't really bother either of them. They got along well, and had plenty of fun. She amused him with her childish attitude, and he amused her with his stories and complaining about how much he couldn't stand Aizen. They both adopted the word turkey for a substitute for Aizen's name in honor of the hairs that refused to slick back with the rest of his hair.

"Come on woman." Grimmjow's voice echoed through the room.

"Why do you still call me woman?" Yukiko looked back at him.

"Just do." he shrugged his shoulders, "Aizen wants you.." he chuckled quietly.

"Well, then I guess I'll just have to disappoint him." She quickly turned her head away and glared at the blank wall in front of her.

"He said he'd give you three things of your choice. Save for you going back to the Seireitei, and any more freedom than you have now."

Yukiko's eyes widened, "..Alright." she said hesitantly. She stood up and walked past Grimmjow and he quickly shut the door and followed her.

"You know exactly what you're going to ask for. Don't you?"

"Yup."

"This ought a be interesting." He chuckled, sad that he wouldn't be able to watch. "Have fun." he mused. Yukiko glared at him, and walked through the large doors and down the long room until she was in front of the throne with a turkey sitting on it. Looking at him, and the expressionless face, she thought this was purely business, but his eyes told what he wanted it to be.

"Hello my sweet."

"What do you want?" She spat out.

"Haven't you slept well?" He asked, with pure concern.

"What do you think?" She looked at him, barely emotionless, but with a slight tinge of hatred and annoyance.

"I apologize. I'll have a more comfortable bed delivered to your room."

"Fine.. Now about those three things."

"Yes, yes, name them and they shall be given to you." Yukiko thought for two seconds, she knew the first two, but there was the issue of the third.

"I would like Ai Hoshi, and Nikushimi no sutā back... and some Pocky. Chocolate." Her last one made him laugh.

"Yes of course." He still didn't know that her seal had been broken and that she had gained her power and strength back, so giving her zanpakutōs back to her was of no concern. He was confident in the strength of the seal that Szayel had created and placed within his love. "Gin, fetch her zanpakutōs for her would you, and buy her some Pocky." His tone was polite, and a silver-haired man appeared outside of the shadows.

"Yes of course! Lord Aizen." Being in the proximity of Gin, Yukiko felt that he was hiding something. There wasn't anything off, or cold about him like there was with the other two traitors. His aura was still the same, and that gave her a small bit of comfort, but she still couldn't bring herself to look at him in the eyes. She still felt highly betrayed by the man. Gin looked at her with a sad, and almost guilty look in his eyes that he opened for just a few seconds to get a clear look at her. She didn't look like she was all to happy. If anything she looked disappointed. She was probably disappointed in him for leaving to be with Aizen and work for him. They had been close, and if her father was gone, she would go to him if she was hurting inside. She went to him for a silent comfort. Someone that she was comfortable with without having to talk and there were very few people she felt that comfortable with. He looked at her for a small while longer and then left to gather the items.

"What do you want with me?" Yukiko spat out again.

"You know very well. I want to ask you to be my queen, sweetheart." He looked down at her, love and lust within his eyes.

"I think you know the answer to that." Yukiko said as politely as she could, waiting for Gin to get back with her zanpakutōs so that she could cut his heart out. Or find out that it was possible to live without having a heart, with proof being the cold man sitting above her.

"I do not understand why you won't agree."

"Ha! Well then, there's a first for everything then isn't there?" She said sarcastically.

"My dearest little girl, if you agreed, you could have anything and everything. We would run the Seireitei together, and you would no longer have to take orders. But instead, give them."

"Sounds fun. Except the being with you part." Yukiko looked up at him, defiance lighting her blue eyes with a fire of ice.

"Why must you be so defiant to your hearts desires?"

"I believe you mean 'your' hearts desires. My heart wants to cut out your heart and feed it to your little 'pets'."

"My my. I do believe we are in the presence of a mini female Kenpachi." Gin mused, appearing in front of Yukiko, luckily blocking Turkey from her line of sight.

"I am a daddy's girl." Yukiko teased slightly. Gin handed her her zanpakutōs and a rather large package of Pocky. She smiled, but as much as she wanted to kill Aizen now, it wasn't the right time. She may have broken the seal, but her power was still growing to its full potential and she would need all of it to get past all the arrancars and espada. Not to mention the three captains she would have to face. She was one of the few who knew of Turkey's zanpakutō's true power. Luckily, she had never seen his shikai, so he couldn't use it on her. Total hypnosis. The thought of it could intimidate anyone, and throw them off their game. Yukiko however had no worry, for even if he could use it on her, she had the ability to see through any visual illusion, and as the saying goes: Seeing is believing. Sight was the most important part of his illusion, and it would have absolutely no effect on her. She would literally see right through them.

"There are the items you requested. And since I love you so, and you are so beautiful, I will allow you to ask for one more thing."

"Same boundaries correct?"

"That's right."

"So asking to see my father in person is out of the question.." She mumbled under her breath and only Gin could hear her clearly. He felt bad, being apart of a group that took her away from people that she loved so dearly, taking the constant kind smile and turning it into a rare sarcastic smile, and a rare frown into a constant one. He hated seeing her like this and he wanted to be able to take her back, but that would interfere with his plans. If she couldn't see her father in person, then she would have to settle with something as close to that as possible. "I would like my father's bells. The ones he wears in his hair... And I want to give him a letter. Explaining why his bells will be missing when he wakes up."

"It will be done. Please, write the letter and I'll have it delivered to him and his bells given to you."

"One more thing.. a simple silver empty charm bracelet."

"I suppose I could. Give the letter to Gin tomorrow and everything else will be taken care of."

"Thank you.." That hurt more than any wound she had suffered.

"I will ask once more now.. Be my queen?"

"Not if my life depended on it." Her eyes narrowed into a glare. Turkey gave Gin a type of signal, and Yukiko was being led to the large white double doors. The opened and as she left to be 'guarded' by Grimmjow, Yukiko could've sworn she heard Gin apologize to her. Even if it hadn't been uttered, it still brought a single tear to her eyes. The thought of getting to have something of her father's and being able to communicate with him, even just once, was enough to bring the rest of the liquid crystals to the surface, as they brimmed her eyes and slowly fell down her face, Grimmjow looked shocked. This was the first time he had ever seen her actually cry. He had seen her sad, down, and depressed, but she would manage to smile and hide the look in her eyes. As they walked, Grimmjow put his hand on her shoulder, not knowing how else to stop the waterfall; he had never had to try to comfort someone before. He never thought he would care enough to have an urge to do so, but like so many other beliefs he had about himself, she disproved it.

When they reached her room, Grimmjow followed her inside, determined to create a smile on her pale face. Yukiko placed her zanpakutōs in a corner of her room. She looked in a mirror, and noticed that she was still wearing her tattered soul reaper uniform. She would've requested new clothing, but she didn't want them.

"Are you okay?" The 6'1 man sat on the couch, and Yukiko curled up next to him, laying her head in his lap.

"Yeah."

"What's with the tears then?"

"Tears of joy mostly."

"You cry when you're happy?"

"Yeah. I'm just that freaking cool." Yukiko laughed a little. Grimmjow noticed a red box on her tabel and reached over to grab it. He examined it, wondering what the heck 'Pocky' was.

"Yeah yeah, what's this?" he said, turning it over and over.

"Pocky." she grabbed the box, and opened it up, revealing little sticks covered in brown. Taking one out she offered it to him. "It's just a biscuit stick covered in chocolate cream. They're amazing." Yukiko sniffled, and wiped her tears off with her arm. Grimmjow took the stick tentatively, unsure. This was the second time he was unsure of something today, and he didn't like it. So he just took a bite off and savored the flavor. It was good, he wouldn't call it amazing, but based on the look on Yukiko's face, she was in love with them.

They sat there in silence, snacking on Pocky, occasionally one would crack a joke and they would laugh with each other. Yukiko sat up, crawled off the couch, and walked over to a small desk and started to write on a piece of paper. Grimmjow just looked at her, he wanted to kill Aizen, but subconsciously, he knew he couldn't win. Not yet anyway, he still had to train. But for now, he just sat and watched Yukiko write a letter to her father, and the last single tear fall from her beautiful blue eyes.

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**In the Seireitei:**

Kenpachi Zaraki woke up, groggy. It was the first decent nights sleep that he had gotten since Yukiko had been kidnapped by Aizen. She had told him how off Aizen had seemed to her but he didn't pay too much attention to it. Personally, he didn't really like him either, but that didn't really mean that there had to be something wrong with him. He should have listened to her. He should have been there to stop Aizen from taking her. She's his daughter after all and since then, he had felt as if he had failed her. Kenpachi didn't let anyone know that's how he felt, not even his lieutenant, or third and fifth seat. Ever since then, he hadn't had a good nights sleep.

Getting up to put his bells in his hair, he opened the box he kept them in, but they weren't there. He was about to go on a rampage looking for them, until he noticed a letter with his name written neatly in a handwriting that was all too familiar. He opened it, eager to learn of its contents.

_Dear Father,_

_ I know that you'll be angry at your missing bells, but please understand. Aizen offered me a few things of my choice, but put restrictions on them, keeping me from returning home and seeing you in person. This was the closest I could get. I miss you so much! Please know that I am unharmed, and have not given into his whims. He has taken me so that I would be his bride, his queen.. Fat chance! I've managed to make a friend. He kind of reminds me of you. He has a love for fighting, and a look in his eyes similar to yours. Luckily, he has been put in charge of keeping me 'in line' and healthy. His name is Grimmjow Jaggerjaquez, and he possibly has the coolest hair I have ever seen. It's blue, and almost brighter than the sky on a sunny day with no clouds. My favorite days. So I have something good here. Well, something that is touchable. That I am able to talk to. Other than that, I have two things now to make me happy: Memories of the Seireitei, and Pocky. Soon, probably by the time you read this, it will have raised to four things that bring me joy: Grimmjow, memories, Pocky, and your bells. I'm sorry, I know how much you love them... But I needed something, and under the circumstances.. I didn't think you would mind all too much. Just know that when ever they jingle, I'll remember you. And trust me, they'll be jingling very, very, very often. I love you Kenny! Please tell everyone else that I'm okay, and please try not to kill Ichigo and Byakuya. Ichigo is my friend, and Byakuya is my __lo...__ Captain and I would miss both of them. Go ahead and fight with them, just please don't kill them. Oh! And please call Ikkaku 'Cue Ball' for me and remind him not to get bitten. I love you so much daddy! And I miss you like there's no tomorrow! Just know that I am safe and can still kick butt!_

_ Love you and miss you,_

_ Your daughter,_

_ Yukiko Zaraki_

There was a strange part on the paper. It was wrinkled, like when wet paper is allowed to dry. So help him, if that was a tear, Aizen would pay dearly when Kenpachi got a chance to get his hands on him.

Kenpachi put the letter in his haori, and suddenly remembered that he had an extra pair of bells. These were gold. He put them in his hair and walked out, searching for his third seat. When he found him, he complied with what Yukiko asked of him.

"Ikkaku!"

"Yes captain!" Ikkaku turned around.

"Yukiko wants me to remind you not to get bitten, Cue Ball." Ikkaku was slightly shocked. How would his captain know what Yukiko wanted? "I got a letter from her. Tell Yumichika she's fine when you see him." And with that, Kenpachi Zaraki turned and walked away, now looking for Byakuya Kuchiki and his lieutenant. Kenpachi wouldn't stop until he had spoken to everyone that had meant even the slightest to Yukiko.

"So she's alright.." Byakuya mused. He had tried not to let any worry interrupt his job, and he was successful. He still didn't know why he worried about her so much, but he didn't want to know. It would probably just make him worry more about his missing fourth seat. He had to admit, he missed things about her. Once she had gotten used to him, her personality began to poke through, and she became more and more bright and bubbly. He missed the way she would head into his office, a big bright smile on her face.

_Byakuya was sitting at his desk, filling out the last of his paperwork when the door burst open._

_ "Hey! I'm done with the stuff you wanted me to do!" She laughed and handed him a few papers. He looked them over. They were filled out correctly and neatly. She had rather neat handwriting. Byakuya looked up at her, but she wasn't there. He put the papers down and walked over to look at his couch, where there was a small blonde laying there. Asleep and curled up into a little ball. The couch became Yukiko's mid-day bed for when she wanted to take a nap. He stood there silently, watching her sleep for a little while before placing the blanket that had a permanent home on the arm of the couch now._

Ever since she had gone, everyone seemed to be less... Proactive. People would do what they were told, but it was obvious that they would rather be doing anything other than what they had been ordered to do. Is it possible that this is what the Seireitei was like before she joined? Was everyone always so... unwilling? If it was, then they needed to get her back to make things seem brighter and more fun. And they would get her back, and defeat Aizen and his Arrancars.

* * *

I have officially broke my record for the longest chapter. This has 3,045 words in it! Not including this little part... :) Well, you guys asked that I make the chapters longer, so I'm going to try to make them as long as I can.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_"Daddy!" A small blonde ran up to a large man. He picked her up and kissed her cheek, holding her up so their faces were at the same level._

_ "Shouldn't you be in bed? Sleeping?" He questioned._

_ "You have no idea how hard it is to put her to bed when you're gone." A woman with a kind and worn face stated, brushing a stray lock of brown hair out of her green eyes. The man simply chuckled._

_ "You're daddy's little girl aren't you?" He asked the 6 year old girl in his arms._

_ "Yup!" She smiled brightly, wrapping tiny, frail, white arms around his muscular neck, snuggling her face into his neck's crook. The brunette joined them, hugging the 6'7 1/2 man, squishing their daughter between the two bodies. When she was freed from the squishing, the little girls father threw her up into the air and caught her, giving her a small kiss on the forehead._

_ "Go to bed now. I'll be in there to tuck you in soon." He handed her to her mother, "I love you Yukiko."_

_ "I love you too daddy!" Yukiko's mother laughed and carried Yukiko into the house to put her to bed._

_ Yukiko sat there in her bed, unable to sleep until her father came in to tuck her in, and waited for him. She would occaisionally smooth out her blue blanket with black, grey, and white wolves running across it. She sat there for what seemed like hours, but was really only about 45 minutes, and by then the blonde lost her patcience and went to look for her beloved father. When she checked her parents bedroom, her mother was lying there, sleeping, but the blue eyes didn't find their objective, so she moved on. The other rooms were just as empty, and the last place left was outside._

_ "Daddy?" She slid the door open, and finally found him. He was lying on the ground, the moon light reflecting off a liquid pooling and surrounding the man; but Yukiko didn't notice this, for she was too distracted by the sight of her father lying on the ground sleeping instead of tucking her in. She walked over to the sleeping giant, and tried to wake him by shaking his shoulder, and gently poking his face, both had worked on everyother occaision, but not this time. Yukiko gave up and managed to crawl underneath his heavy body, and fell asleep there._

Yukiko gasped and her blue eyes fluttered open, her vision blurred by the tears that snuck their way out while she slept. Sitting up, her hand moved to her face, wiping away the tears, and trying to get the sights and dream out of her mind.

_I suppose I was right. Partially anyway..._

Her young self's assumption that they were sleeping was correct, but her thought of them waking up wasn't. They were caught in an eternal slumber; one that would seperate Yukiko from her oh so beloved father for ten years before she would die and join him. She thought that being back with him would end the nightmares, but she was again wrong. The nights that they would happen, Yukiko would sleep with her father, as his presence kept them at bay. But now, she had no one to go to. Grimmjow wouldn't and if Aizen ever found out... Grimmjow would no longer exist. She was sure of it. She hated how much it still had an affect on her, and how the person or group of people were never caught. She never gained any closure. She spent the rest of her life in the World of the Living in an orphanage. It wasn't because people didn't want her, but that she didn't want them. No one could replace her parents, and she didn't want any other family other than the one she was born into. Unfortunately, the only other man she would have willingly gone with and stayed with, Kenpachi's close friend, who had been like an uncle, and on some occaisions a second father, was dead as well. The rest of her family had also been slaughtered, so there was to be none of that. It seemed to her that someone out there wanted to make her life as miserable as possible. But she did manage to lead a rather happy life. She kept smiling, choosing to remember the days that she would ride around on Kenpachi's shoulder, laughing at how small everyone became, and playing with the bells in his hair. No one else was allowed to even touch them.

At the thought of the bells, Yukiko slowly shuffled over to the little desk, and opened a little box. Inside were the bells that were stolen from her father, now attached to a silver charm bracelet. Wrapping her slim fingers around it, she picked it up and put it on her wrist. She shook her hand several times to hear them jingle, picturing her father. He may have been blood thirsty and maybe a little sadistic at times, but he was still the best father she could have ever asked for. Curling up into a ball on the couch, Yukiko kept her thoughts on him, knowing there was to be no more sleep that night.

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The door opened, light streamed through, into the room, revealing a small figure curled up on the blue couch in her room.

"Don't you like your new matress?"

Yukiko shuddered. It was Gin Ichimaru. The third last person she wanted to see, after Turkey and Kaname. She kept silent.

"You look horrid."

"Just what every girl wants to hear.." Her voice was quiet and sullen. Gin remembered the days when she was like this. He realized the nightmares must be back.

"Is there anything I can do..?" He cautiosly walked over to her, sitting on the couch as well.

"You could start by telling me why you betrayed us all?"

He sighed, "No I can't."

"Then tell me why your aura hasn't changed like Kaname's." She demanded, finally looking at the man with the silver hair.

"Hm?"

"It's not... evil. In any way, shape, or form. It's still just the same. Why?"

"Well, I... Let me tell you a secret. Okay?"

Yukiko moved her head up and down, and Gin leaned over, and whispered his plans in her ear. Tired blue eyes widened.

"You mean... You aren't really on his side..?" She whispered quietly. He nodded his head in confirmation. Yukiko squealed with joy and lept over to him, hugging him tightly. "I still hate you Gin."

"I know." he said, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her onto his lap. "Sleep okay. I'll keep them away." Yukiko gave out a muffled 'yes' and closed her eyes, and instantly sleep devoured her, taking her into the land of peace and quiet. Gin closed his eyes, thanking the... Well he couldn't quite thank the gods... But he said a quiet thanks to nothing in particular that she could be so forgiving towards him. He rested his chin on her head, happy that they could go back to their regular relationship. Mostly, that is. They would have to keep quiet so as not to make Aizen suspicious. If he ever found out, Gin may not live to see another day.

_Death seems to be quite fond of you Yuki. Stay strong, and protect the ones dear to you. Keep Death away from them. And yourself._

"Sleep well my dear Yuki." He mummbled quietly, gently petting her. "You'll need it."

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After waking up, Yukiko and Gin talked for quite sometime, laughing and joking as if nothing had happened. Eventually, Gin had to leave, not wanting Aizen to wonder where he was. Yukiko hugged him one final time, thanking him for letting her sleep, and watched him walk through the door and into the hallway. She sighed and laid down on her stomach, resting her head on her hands and stared at the wall infront of her. She needed something on that wall; as well as some new clothes. She was tired of the rags that were once her shinigami robes. Her stomach growled loudly, pulling attention to the facte that she needed food as well. Grimmjow hadn't been in at all today, so she decided to take the initiative and get it herself.

She rolled off the couch and walked to the kitchen. She kept going for quite sometime before she realized that she had absolutely no idea where the kitchen was. She mentally slapped herself, and looked around for someone that didn't bother her too much.

"I don't think you're supposed to be out without someone with you." a cool, smooth voice came from behind her. Yukiko whipped around.

"Well... I got hungry.."

"Isn't Grimmjow supposed to bring you your food?"

"Yes. He is Ulquiorra, but I haven't seen him at all, and I wanted food. So I'm going to get food."

"You don't know where to go.." It really happened! There was just an ounce of an emotion in his voice and his green eyes! He would never admit it, but she amused him with her childish antics and her stubborn pride.

"I do too!" Yukiko folded her arms across her chest, and started to stomp her way forward, away from Ulquiorra.

"Then why are you going the wrong way..?" She stopped dead in her tracks.

"Because..." She drawled it out, "I wanted to take the scenic route..?" She turned around slowly, and shuffled her feet back toward him.

"I doubt that."

"Well, if this isn't the way, then why don't you show me?" She dared him, with her puppy dog eyes out. If these didn't work, then he had no soul.

"It's that way." He pointed down the hall.

"That hall has so many turns though! What if I get lost? It'll be your fault, you know." She said, dropping the puppy eyes, her eyes back to their normal emotion, but with a slight 'I-will-get-you-in-trouble-if-you-don't-help-me-ou t' look.

"...Follow me.." He said, sighing. Yukiko giggled out of joy at her victory. She felt a warm hand grab hers and pull her along down the hallway. Never in a million years would she have guessed that his hands would be warm.

After being showed where the kitchen was, Yukiko thanked Ulquiorra and hugged him, half to bug him and half because she figured she'd have died of starvation with out his help. She walked to her room, but found a nasty surprise waiting for her.

"Hello." There stood Turkey's version of Mayuri Kurotsuchi. A much creepier version she might add.

"No." She pointed to the door.

"I'm afraid I can't do that with out you." He smiled, fixing his glasses.

"Just do what you did to get in.. Just, in reverse." She said sarcastically.

"That's not what I mean. Aizen wishes to see you. But first.." A box was thrown onto her bed. "I'll be waiting outside the door." He winked and walked outside. Sighing, Yukiko walked over to the bed, munching on a potato chip. She untied the bow, and opened the box. It was white, like everything else in this place. Inside, was a dress. The color scheme was the same as the arrancars. White, with black outlining. She held it up to examine it. It looked as if it were styled in the gothic lolita style. The sleeves weren't attached, and the edges were black lace. When she put it on, she noticed how form fitting it was, but also how complimenting it was. It flattered her every curve. The neck was a sweet-heart cut, and it ended just above her knees. On the back, was a black, silk ribbon that tied, like the ones on a corset. The rim of the neck had a black ribbon threaded through and tied in the middle into a little bow. The skirt wasn't as form fitting, as it did flare out a bit at the waist, and it had a trianglular shape cut into it, with black fabric underneath. The edge of the skirt was simply lined in black. The only other color was a little ice blue lily on the bottom of the skirt, just above the black rim. The shoes were little ankle boots. Under those, were socks that that reached just a little higher than mid calf, again with a triangular shape cut out of the top. She was pleasently surprised. She would have thought he would get her something even more form fitting so he could see them clearly, but apparently, the Turkey wasn't that much of a pig.

There was also some extra black ribbon in the box at the bottom. She used one to tie aound her neck, making the bow on the side of her neck, and the other was tied into her hair. There were still two more, so she criss-crossed one up both of her legs, over her socks, making the bows in the back. Yukiko examined herself in the mirror when she was done. As much as she hated to admit it, she liked it. She looked pretty, and at the moment, she hated it.. As well as loved it. She had very strong mixed feelings about the new outfit. But her thoughts were cut short as Szayel walked into the room.

"..." He just stared at her. Seeing him in the mirror, she twirled around, the skirt of her new dress flaring just a bit.

"What?" She growled, glaring at him.

"I need to take you to Aizen now.." He said after clearing his throat.

"Again! Will he ever learn?" Yukiko shook her head and followed the pink haired man to the throne room. Luckily, it was a short distance away. This was probably the millionth time she had walked down this obnoxiously long room. Her new shoes tapping on the smooth marble floors.

"You look stunning." Aizen said, staring at her like he always had.

"I know." Was all she would acknowledge his compliment with.

"I have a new proposal for you."

"And what would that be?" She said, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Be my queen, and I won't kill what I have in my possession."

"And that would be.." She said cautiously, waiting in anticipation for what he would reveal to her.

"A wolf. White, big, male, red markings, and rather... Feisty." He said.

Yukiko's eyes widened with fear,"You're lying!" He didn't have to say a name for her to know he meant Shailloh. He was her only friend while in the orphanage.

"Oh? I am? Kaname, would you?"

"Yes Lord Aizen." Kaname walked out of the dark, dragging Shailloh behind him. Yukiko gasped, and tears started to brim her eyes.

"You... You monster!" Yukiko screamed.

"Well, you have the option to save him." He said.

"Fine! You.. You win! Just... Just don't hurt him.." Yukiko said, her voice dropping in the process to a quiet, sad, almost begging tone. She looked up at him, trying and failing to keep the tears held back. "I can keep him... right?" She asked.

"Of course my dear." He smiled triumphantly. Yukiko ran over to Shailloh, tears streaming down her face.

"Shailloh!" She whispered into his soft fur. He had placed something over Shailloh, making him unable to fight back, but Yukiko could hear him growling at the men in the room. "I'm so sorry boy.." Yukiko continued to sob into his soft fur, hugging him with all her might. He stopped growling, and rested his head on her shoulder, trying his best to comfort the blonde.

"I'll have your things moved into my bedroom soon. When should we?"

Yukiko looked back at him fury filling her eyes, "I hate you.."

"I'm sorry dear, but that doesn't answer my question."

"How about in a million years?" She asked, quickly finding a loophole in his deal. He only asked if she would, but set no limit as to how long he would have to wait. His eyebrows raised and he quickly realized his mistake. "You know what.. How about 99 trillion years. Okay. Then it'll happen." A smirk was brought to her peach-pink lips. She had beat him at his own game. The fury in her eyes was replaced by cockiness, and confidence.

"Fine." He glowered at her, though she could still see desire in his eyes. She laughed at his stupidity. He should have known better than to leave something like that out; she was great at finding loopholes, and getting out of thing she didn't want to do. Her attention then turned to the wolf she was still clinging to when she felt something in his fur. She pulled it out, and Shailloh ran at Kaname. Shailloh jumped and bit down on his throat. Yukiko followed him, and stared at the blind man bleeding on the ground, it wouldn't kill him. It hadn't killed him, but he was just barely alive, and there would be a scar; a reminder not to mess with Yukiko and her guardian wolf.

Yukiko walked back into her room, Shailloh jumped onto the couch.

"That's new." A voice came out of a shaded corner of the room, and was soon followed by a blue headed man.

"Grimmjow!" Yukiko's eyes lit up with excitment and she hugged him as tight as she could, not wanting to let go of her older 'brother'.

"Miss me?" He laughed at her reaction to his being in her room.

"Yes!" She laughed as more tears rained down on her face. Only this time, they were tears of joy.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"What!?" Kenpachi exclaimed. He and the other captains were standing in two single file lines at a captain's meeting.

"That makes no sense! Why would we treat her as such?" Captain Ukitake spoke up.

"I have to agree. As annoying as she was, she would never betray us!" Captain Soi-fon was next to voice her disapproval.

"She is one of the most loyal soul reapers among us. This truely makes no sense." Captain Hitsugaya said.

"It does not matter. She will be treated as a traitor along with the other three." Head Captain Yamamoto stated in a 'matter-of-fact' tone. Byakuya stood there quietly, again, his loyalty to his parents and his loyalty to those close to him were standing on opposite sides of the battlefield. He wanted to save Yukiko, to stand up for her, but he didn't want to break the promise to his parents. Why must his life be filled with so many conflicts?

"You can't do this! My daughter would never! I told you what that letter said!" Kenpachi was furious, shaking with anger, fists clenched so hard the knuckles were turning white. He glared daggers at the head captain; he couldn't comprehend how Yamamoto could rule that Yukiko was a traitor. He didn't think any of the other captians could either. Unable to stand being there any longer, fighting the urge to destroy the entire Seireitei, stormed out.

"This meeting is officially dismissed." Yamamoto sighed. He didn't want to do this, but he had no choice.

Screams could be heard all over the Seireitei; and a lot more injured men were being sent to squad four and were in worse condition than before. They were all from squad eleven, and most were being thrown through who knows how many walls. Captain Zaraki was angrier than he had ever been, and he was trying to get rid of it, but this just wasn't working. So after sending almost ten times as many men over to the medical squad, he sat down in his office with a huge sigh escaping his lips. What could he do? He couldn't get into Hueco Mundo, so he couldn't rescue her. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. Yachiru popped up on his shoulder.

"Kenny's thinking about Snowy again." She sighed. Kenny wasn't going to play with anyone or her. She had to find a way to cheer Kenny up, and she needed to find it fast. She didn't like seeing Kenny down like this.

"No. I'm not thinking about her again. She never leaves my thoughts." he quietly mummbled. "I can't do anything.."

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The door slammed open, and Szayel walked in.

"What the freak do you want!?" Yukiko shouted.

"I want you to know that both Aizen and I know about your broken seal." he said, handing her some tea.

"No." She sighed, pushing away the cup. "It's probably got a weird poison, or.. potion or something."

He smiled, "Unfortunately for you, it isn't opptional." He said as ten of his Fracciónes came in and forced her down onto the floor. She fought against them, trying to reach for her zanpakutōs but failed each time. They were all so much bigger than her, and her strength was still not complete, so in no time, they had her pinned down, and the pink haired man leaned over her, smiling sadistically.

"Go die in a ditch Szayel!" Yukiko spat out. He just continued to smile as he opened her mouth, and poured the bitter liquid down her throat. She choked on it for a few seconds, but it managed its way down, despite her efforts. Soon, it all went black.

"Yukiko!" A loud voice yelled in her ear. Yukiko jumped up, startled.

"What? What happened?"

"I found out what was in that tea you had forced down your throat."

"How did you find out?"

"Szayel is a bit of a loud mouth."

"What.. was it?"

"It makes you obey Aizen. But..."

"But.." Yukiko's eyes were wide with fear.

"Only when ordered to fight."

Yukiko sighed out of pure relief. At least, she won't have to marry him.

"Okay... what if he told me to stop fighting?"

"Not sure. He isn't that much of a bragger."

Yukiko rolled her eyes, and laid back down, Grimmjow laying down beside her. She moved her head up so it was resting on his chest, and his arm wrapped around her. She was tired and they both knew it. When she fell asleep, he would get her more food. He doubted she had had any since yesterday.

"Where were you?"

"Hm? I was... Out in the World of the Living." he admitted hesitantly.

"What were you doing?"

"Sensing."

"Sensing?"

"More like searching. Searching for strong spiritual pressure."

"Always looking for a fight.." Yukiko mused, yawning and cuddling deeper into his chest.

"Yup." his grip tightned as he felt her fall asleep. He would protect her with everything he had. Yukiko was his little sister, and he wouldn't let anyone hurt her. Not if he could help it.

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"Grimmjow!" Yukiko ran up to the blue haired man, with a scar on his chest, and a missing arm.

"Tousen.." he spat out in disgust.

"Figures." Yukiko sighed and walked over to the couch, motoining for Grimmjow to join her. As he sat down, Yukiko put her hands to the new wound and started to heal it, but he pushed her hand away.

"I don't need it." he said when she looked at him, confused.

"But didn't you get removed from the ranks of the espada?" she questioned.

"So?" Yukiko shook her head, laughing quietly at his reaction. She was still worried about him though. She didn't know what was going to happen now that he wasn't an espada, but she had faith that he would be alright. He was a great fighter, and that hadn't changed.

The two continued to talk and laugh for the rest of the day, and nothing very interesting happened over the next few days, other than Grimmjow going out to fight in the World of the Living again. He wouldn't tell her who he fought, but he would tell her how he kicked butt, and how his opponent kept looking at him like he was better than Grimmjow. Yukiko always laughed at his superiority complex, but then again, he was pretty amazing.

But then... Orahime was brought into the prison.

I snuck out of my room to go visit her.

"Hey!" I said.

"Huh?" She flinched a bit. "Oh, hey Yuki! How are you?"

"How do you think I'm doing? Stuck here in this prison..? I'm great!" I laughed, trying to lighten up the atmosphere.

"Really..?" She asked.

"No.." Lightening up the atmosphere here was probably near impossible, but she was going to try anyway. And she did for a quite a while, and was just starting to when Ulquiorra arrived, and made her leave.

She shuffled back to her room, and, after a time that seemed like centuries to her, picked up her zanpakutōs. She would fight who ever, and when ever she wanted to. She didn't care what that liquid Szayel made did, or what Aizen ordered her. Yukiko Zaraki wouldn't stand by anymore and watch Orahime get treated like crap, and she wasn't going to take anymore.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Over the past few days, Yukiko had been training with Grimmjow, her strength building back up to its previous levels. She loved training with him because he, like Ikkaku and her father, Grimmjow wouldn't hold back; he fought her as though she were his equal, her sex having nothing to do with the way he fought with her. Sometimes, they would go at it for hours on end, and occasionally, Aizen would watch them. He loved to watch the elegant and gracefull, yet brutal style that was Yukiko's own. He would watch her blonde hair flow, her body move, her chest heave up and down as her breath came out in gasps when the fight was near its end, and the fire in her eyes. She was to be his queen, and one of his most precious weapons. To Aizen, Yukiko was not a person; she was a object that he wanted with all of his being.

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Ichigo was outraged. Not only were they to treat Yukiko like a traitor, but now Orahime! Everyone knew they wouldn't betray their friends or the Soul Society. It was insanity; and not Yukiko's entertaining kind of insanity. He didn't care what was ruled there. He wasn't technically a soul reaper, so he didn't have to obey their rule. Did he? Ichigo shook his head, and made up his mind.

"I'm going to rescue them." he said.

"But... They said not to." Chad countered.

"And what's your point!?" Ichigo yelled, "You know them! Those two are not traitors! They didn't go willingly, they were kidnapped!" Chad simply nodded his head in agreement, "So? Are you going with me?"

"Mhmm." Chad nodded again.

"Good. Now we just need Uryu.." The two men started to leave, but a voice stopped them.

"I'll go." They turned around and saw Uryu standing there as he adjusted his glasses position on his nose.

"Well... That was easier than I thought it would be. I thought you hated soul reapers. You know this would be helping them, right?"

"Yes." He sighed, "But Orahime is my friend, and Yukiko is one of the few soul reapers I can stand. Though she does have her annoying moments..." Uryu's eyes glazed over a little as he recalled one of his memories of the blonde.

_"Hey Quincy Pants!" An excited voice sounded behind him. A sigh escaped his mouth._

_ "Yukiko. Why do you call me that?"_

_ "Cause you're a quincy!" She said, smiling her signiture smile, laughing. She ran up to him, "I need a favor..."_

_ "No."_

_ "But why not?" She whined, putting on her most innocent face, her eyes turning into her irrisitable puppy dog eyes._

_ "Because, I don't like soul reapers." He said, obviously already annoyed._

_ Yukiko continued to beg for a few minutes, but eventually gave a defeated sigh._

_ "Fine. I'll owe you one. Okay?" She said much more seriously now. Uryu thought it over, tempted to say no again as punishment for her obnoxious nickname, but he figured it would be good for him if she owed him._

_ "Alright.. What do you want..?" He asked hesitantly._

_ "Sooo... I saw a really epic shirt, but there were some things on it that aren't particularly... me. You know?"_

_ "No. I don't know." She glared at him playfully and stuck her tongue out at him._

_ "So anyways, I need you to remake it, but with a few modifications. Here." Yukiko handed him a neatly folded paper. Inside was a sketch of the shirt and the additions and exemptions were listed on the sides. On the bottom were all of the measurements he needed to make it._

_ Well. Isn't someone prepared." He said sarcastically. She simply smiled and hugged him._

_ "Thank you! You're awesome!" She laughed again, stretched her arm up as high as she could, got on the tips of her toes and poked his forhead, her way of saying good bye to him. She rarely said a farewell to him verbally. It was almost always a simple poke to some part of his face. If she didn't greet him verbally, she would poke his shoulder, purely because it bothered him. She was like the annoying little sister that you couldn't help but care for. He didn't know why he did, but he did and all he could do was try to come to terms with it._

"Yo! Quincy pants!" Uryu blinked his eyes and shook his head, coming back to the present.

"Yukiko is the only one who can get away with that Ichigo." Uryu muttered threateningly.

"I'm so scared. Anyway, we need to head to Urahara's place if we want to save them."

"What are we waiting for?" Uryu asked.

"Well.. We were waiting for you.." Ichigo said teasingly. Uryu growled and followed the laughing orange, and the tall men to a shop owned by an ex-soul reaper. He sighed again, scratching his head. If he hated them so much, why was he so willing to mix his life up with theirs?

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"Intruders?" Yukiko's voice was filled with wonder and curiosity. "Who?"

"Your friends." Grimmjow said, his voice filled with utter annoyance.

"Ichigo..!" Yukiko's eyes lit up with excitement.

"And two others.."

"Chad! And.. Quincy Pants..." Yukiko wasn't all to surprised to hear that Chad and Ichigo were here, but Uryu was a bit of a surprise. They weren't exactly friends, but they weren't enemies. They were more than just acquaintances. "Frenimies..." She mummbled under her breath.

"What?" Grimmjow said.

"Huh? Oh! Nothing.. Promise. It was nothing important." She said hastily, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck, a smile on her lips. A look of doubt covered Grimmjow's face, but he didn't really care; all he wanted was to fight Ichigo and settle things once and for all. To fight him with no interuptions. "You think I could sneak into Orahime's room?"

"I haven't seen Ulquiorra there yet. I suppose you could. Why?"

"Cause. I want to. I haven't been able to see her in a while and she is my friend."

"Tsk.. Friends.. Who needs 'em?" Yukiko's face dropped, her eye's clouding in sorrow.

"But... I'm your friend.. Aren't I?" Yukiko said, her voice smaller than before.

"No. You're my little sister." He said, pulling her into a rough, tight hug. Yukiko returned his hug almost imediately, her saddness disappearing into nothingness, and a smile placed upon her lips again. She snuggled her face further into his chest, pleased with the warmth that was now surrounding her. The 'brother and sister' stayed like that for a few minutes. When they pulled apart, Grimmjow left, wanting to fight with Ichigo, and Yukiko snuck out, looking for Orahime.

Yukiko was on her way, when she heard a loud crash coming from that direction, and she flash stepped towards the room. By the time she got there, Orahime was gone, two arrancars were on the floor, the door had been blown off, and a hole had been blasted through the wall. The remaining spiritual pressure told her it was Grimmjow who had atleast done part of the damage to the room and knowing him, it was probably the hole in the wall. She sighed heavily, and put her face in her hands, slowly sliding them down her face.

"Grimmjow... You idiot.." She walked away from the seen, her hand on the hilt of her zanpakutōs. She could sense all of the chaos going on and she wanted apart of it. But she was curious as to why she could sense more than just Ichigo, Chad, and Uryu's spiritual pressure. She could sense Rukia, Byakuya, Mayuri, Unohana, Hanatoro, and Nemu's presences; but not only theirs... But... Kenpachi's as well. Her dad was here... An even bigger smile graced her peach lips and she flash stepped out into the chaos.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Half way towards her destination, Yukiko froze. Something important just disappeared, something that was now worrying her greatly.

_Grimmjow... No.._ Yukiko shook her head, trying to convince herself otherwise. Just because she couldn't sense his spiritual pressure didn't mean that he was... Her long blonde hair forming slight waves as she shook her head again. He wasn't dead. He was just hiding it... _But that isn't his style... Please Grimmjow. Don't be dead!_ She hurried to the battle scene where someone, likely her father by now, was fighting with Nnoitora; a small light of naive hope that Grimmjow was still alive shining in her strong yet fragile heart. She could still sense Orahime's and Ichigo's. Yachiru was there as well. Tesla, who she could sense before, was most likely dead as she couldn't find an ounce of his presence left, and Nnoitora was still alive. That thought bothered her. Yukiko never liked the tall espada, and found ways to bother him by doing things like calling him a 'spoon' or the occasional 'satalite dish'. Though with his outfit... He was sort of asking for it. Grimmjow always thought he looked kind of like a praying mantis, but Yukiko just thought that was way too cruel... To the praying mantises that is.

Managing to avoid Ulquiorra the entire way, Yukiko found a rather odd sight for her eyes to behold. Grimmjow was laying on the ground, unmoving, bringing her fear back the her mind, Kenpachi was fighting Nnoitora as she had figured, and Orahime was behind her shield with Yachiru, watching the ongoing fued. The only thing missing was Ichigo, but he was still alive. She could feel it. When her blue eyes wondered to a puddle of red liquid on the ground, another confirmation happened. Tesla, was in fact very much dead. Now the only reason this scene was odd to her was because Grimmjow was just laying there. Her feet moved quickly as she moved over to the limp body of her dearest friend. When she reached him, she kneeled down on the ground, and struggled to pull his head up and onto her lap. Her hand reached to his neck, where the pulse was to be found, and to her relief, it was found. His pulse was faint, but it was there none the less, and she found herself crying tears of relief, a gentle smile in her eyes and on her lips. She kissed the electric blue haired man's forehead and lifted her face to watch her father fight against a large spoon. No... Not quite spoon as the top half of his uniform had been either cut off or obliterated. Unfortunately for her though, the same fate did not befall upon the outfit's owner.

"SNOW!" A shout of joy came from the little pink haired girl, now standing, on a piece of rubble. She jumped up and down from the excitement welling up within her little body, and as Yachiru prepared to run over to Yukiko, the kneeling blonde shook her head vigourously.

"No Bubblegum! Not right now."

"Why?" Yachiru pouted.

Yukiko simply pointed to the battle infront of her and the point was made. If Yachiru ran to Yukiko, there was a slight chance that she may get caught in a blow made by either of the warriors and Yukiko wouldn't risk that; she loved the little piece of bubblegum too much for that, and she knew that Kenpachi would blame himself if she were to get hurt wether or not it was he who inflicted the damage. She recalled the time that Yachiru had fallen ill with a simple cold. Kenpachi was worried so much that he couldn't even bring himself to leave her bedroom to do anything until she got better. His meals would be brought to the room, his work, (though that still was rarely done until last minute), his drink, and everything else. He even skipped Captains Meetings until Yachiru had gotten over her cold.

_Despite his appearance, and the way he treats others, he is a great father. He may not always show it in the most traditional ways, but Kenpachi Zaraki does care for people. It's just that he is pretty picky about the people he allows himself to care for. Yes, it's true that fighting is his favorite thing, and his favored types are fights to the death, but there are four things that he puts above them. His fifth seat, Yumichika, his third seat, Ikkaku, his lieutenant/unofficially adopted daughter, Yachiru, and his daughter, me. I just wish more people could see that._

Sighing, Yukiko watched as her father and the fifth espada went at each other with everything they had as that thought went through her ever busy mind.

"Now, I think I'll take care of you.." Nnoitora's voice brought her back to the fight, but there wasn't a fight to be seen anymore. Nnoitora was stalking over to Yachiru and Orahime, Kenpachi was laying on the ground, bleeding profousely from a wound in the center of his chest.

"Dad.. No.." Yukiko gasped, and her hand went over her mouth. Her heart stopped beating at the sight. She couldn't loose him. Not again. She wanted to scream, but it wouldn't come out. But Kenpachi knew that he couldn't die right now, he couldn't do that to Yachiru, and he definately couldn't do that to his own flesh and blood again, and he knew that she must be worried about him, what with him just laying there. But he was thinking of a plan, and to put her worry aside, he moved his hand a bit. Yukiko noticed, and sighed gratefully. As Nnoitora got ever closer to the two females behind an orange shield, Kenpachi got up and warned him not to get any closer to Yachiru. The spoon man turned around, surprised. Apparently, he had been under the assumption that Kenpachi had died. Orahime looked relieved, and a smile was on Yukiko and Yachiru's lips now. There was a new look in the captain's eyes, and the two liked it. Any doubt that resided in them towards his victory was gone. Kenpachi Zaraki would win. There was no doubt about it.

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"Can't... BREATH!" Yukiko gasped out as she was hugged very tightly be the little pink girl. Kenpachi pried Yachiru off and pulled Yukiko into a hug of his own.

"I'm sorry I failed you..." He said, making sure it was so quiet that only Yukiko could hear him.

"You didn't fail me at all." Yukiko whispered back, shaking her head. Kenpachi just pet her hair with his eyes closed, relieved that she didn't hold anything against him. Then his eyes opened as he suddenly remembered something he wanted to ask her.

"Why did you kiss that guy..?"

"Because, he's my friend." Yukiko said as she pulled away, somewhat reluctantly. "That's Grimmjow. The man I told you about in the letter. All this time, he's been like an older brother, and I was worried about him. But he's still alive, and when I found out, I was so relieved that I kissed him... But it was only on the forehead." She admitted.

"That's all the relationship was? He never..." Kenpachi raised his nonexisten eyebrow.

"No!" Yukiko shook her head. " Never! I mean, yeah we cuddled, and I slept with hi-"

"YOU WHAT!?" Kenpachi yelled.

"Eh? Ah, no! Not like that! I'd fall asleep while we would talk and he let me sleep on his chest and that kind of stuff... It wasn't like that at all!" Yukiko spoke quickly, explaining what she meant, shaking her head violently.

"That better be all it was." Kenpachi warned.

"It was. I promise." Yukiko smiled gently as she hugged her father again. "So... Um, maybe we should meet up with the other captains.. Or I could go find Renji... Or Shailloh..."

"They got Shailloh?"

"They got Shailloh."

"Well then."

"Yup..."

"We gonna go?"

"Sure." Yukiko first headed over to Grimmjow's still motionless body and kissed his forehead again, then joined Yachiru on the shoulders of the mountain of a man, and off they went on a mini adventure to find the other captains. When they got there, Ichigo was getting his butt handed to him on a platter by Yammy.

"Down you two." Kenpachi said. His two little girls climbed down and watched as he ran to save the Strawberry looked around, seeing Mayuri, Unohana, and Byakuya with Shailloh sitting beside him. She ran up to Shailloh and wrapped her arms around his neck, grinning from ear to ear.

"And here I thought I'd have to go looking for you boy!" Yukiko giggled, petting her gaurdian wolf.

"Yukiko... You're alright..?" Looking up, she saw her captain's dark blue eyes set on her. She smiled up at him, getting up she replied.

"Yes.. I'm perfectly fine." Her smile copied itself in her eyes, and Byakuya could feel his self-control slipping; he wanted to hug her, to tell her how worried he was about her, he wanted to hold her and never let her go... And he didn't know why. Luckily though, he had enough self-control left to stop the rest of it from dying off and allowing him to give into this odd feeling he had. Now while Byakuya still wasn't aware of the feeling he had for his fourth seat, she was now highly aware of her feelings toward her captain, and had finally come to terms with it. If she had any doubt that Byakuya would react badly, she might have actually hugged the living crap out of that man, but she knew he would; not only that, but he was her captain, and... She wasn't entirely sure that it would even be accepted. So she settled for being able to have the relationship that they had. This was as close to him as she figured she could ever get, and she was perfectly happy about that.

"Good." He nodded his head, and hesitantly patted the top of her head. The gesture surprised Yukiko quite a bit, but she accepted it by smiling, and laughing. As they turned to watch Kenpachi battle against the huge being that is Yammy, Yukiko sat herself down beside her captain and her crush. Her life was certanly getting more and more interesting by the second.


End file.
